View source for Coleslaw

{{short description|Salad consisting primarily of finely-shredded raw cabbage}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}{{redirect|Cole slaw|other uses}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Coleslaw
| image            = File:2015-12-20 Spitzkohlsalat mit Möhren anagoria.JPG
| image_size     = 250px
| caption          = Coleslaw made with mayonnaise
| alternate_name   = Slaw
| country          = [[Netherlands]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Engelhardt |first=Elizabeth |title=Republic of barbecue : stories beyond the brisket |url=https://archive.org/details/republicbarbecue00enge |url-access=limited |publisher=University of Texas Press |location=Austin |year=2009 |page=[https://archive.org/details/republicbarbecue00enge/page/n23 17] |isbn=978-0-292-71998-9}}</ref>
| region           = 
| creator          = 
| course           = Side dish, condiment
| type             = [[Salad]]
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = Fine shredded raw [[cabbage]], [[carrot]]; [[vinaigrette]] ([[acetic acid]] (vinegar essence) or [[vinegar]], [[vegetable oil]], salt) or [[mayonnaise]] and salad cream
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}
'''Coleslaw''' or '''cole slaw''' (from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] term {{lang|nl|koolsla}} {{IPA|nl|ˈkoːlslaː||Nl-koolsla.ogg}}, meaning 'cabbage salad'), also widely known within [[North America]] simply as '''slaw''', is a [[side dish]] consisting primarily of finely shredded raw [[cabbage]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coleslaw |title=Coleslaw&nbsp;– Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]] |access-date=9 September 2018}}</ref> with a [[salad dressing]] or [[condiment]], commonly either [[vinaigrette]] or [[mayonnaise]]. This dish originated in the [[Netherlands]] in the 18th century. Coleslaw prepared with vinaigrette may benefit from the long lifespan granted by [[pickling]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/salad/other-salad/pickled-cabbage-salad.html |title=Pickled Cabbage Salad}}</ref>

Coleslaw has evolved into various forms globally. The only consistent ingredient in coleslaw is raw cabbage, while other ingredients and dressings vary widely. Some popular variations include adding red cabbage, pepper, shredded carrots, onions, grated cheese, pineapple, pears,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Smart Coleslaw with Pears, Walnuts and Cranberries |url=https://walnuts.org/recipe/smart-coleslaw-with-pears-walnuts-and-cranberries/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=California Walnuts}}</ref> or apples, and using dressings like mayonnaise or cream.

== History ==
[[File:Purple cabbage coleslaw.jpg|thumb|left|Purple cabbage coleslaw]]
The term "coleslaw" arose in the 18th century as an [[anglicisation]] of the Dutch term {{Lang|nl|koolsla}} ("kool" in Dutch sounds like "cole") meaning "cabbage salad".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perelman |first=Deb |date=2007-08-08 |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12570289 |title=Coleslaw: You Could Be a Star |work=[[NPR]] |access-date=2009-06-24}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The "cole" part of the word ultimately derives from the Latin {{Lang|la|caulis}}, meaning cabbage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Phillips |first=Denise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cCsiMAgmlT4C&q=cole+comes+from+latin+colis+which+means+cabbage&pg=PT300 |title=New Flavours of the Jewish Table |date=2012-04-24 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-1-4481-4657-4 |language=en}}</ref>

The 1667 Dutch cookbook ''The Sensible Cook'' ({{Langx|nl|De Verstandige Kock}}) contains a recipe attributed to the author's Dutch landlady, who mixed thin strips of cabbage with melted butter, vinegar, and [[vegetable oil|oil]].<ref>{{cite book |date=1989 |orig-year=1667 |location=Amsterdam |editor-last1=Rose |editor-first1=Peter |title=De Verstandige Kock |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Sensible_Cook/8mMDq4eUM0IC |url-access= |trans-title=The Sensible Cook: Dutch Foodways in the Old and New World |language=English |translator-last1=Rose |translator-first1=Peter |isbn=9780815605034}}</ref> The most commonly prepared recipe for coleslaw is a recent innovation, owing to the development of [[mayonnaise]] during the mid-18th century.

According to ''The Joy of Cooking'' (1997), raw cabbage is the only entirely consistent ingredient in coleslaw; the type of cabbage, dressing, and added ingredients vary widely. Vinaigrette, mayonnaise, and sour cream-based dressings are all listed; bacon, carrots, bell peppers, pineapple, pickles, onions, and herbs are mentioned explicitly as possible added ingredients.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Joy of Cooking |url=https://archive.org/details/joyofcooking01romb |url-access=registration |last1=Rombauer |first1=Irma S. |publisher=Scribner |year=1997 |isbn=0-684-81870-1 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/joyofcooking01romb/page/36/mode/2up] |last2=Becker |first2=Marion Rombauer |last3=Becker |first3=Ethan}}</ref>

== Variations and similar dishes ==
{{original research|section|date=August 2022}}
[[file:Bavarian Krautsalat Munich.JPG|thumb|left|''Krautsalat'' in [[Munich]], Germany]]
[[file:CabbageSalad.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Russian cuisine|Russian]] and [[Ukrainian cuisine|Ukrainian]] variety dressed with sunflower oil]]
There are many variations of the recipe, which include the addition of other ingredients such as red [[cabbage]], [[bell pepper|pepper]], shredded [[carrot]]s, [[onion]], grated [[cheese]], [[pineapple]], or [[apple]], mixed with a [[salad#Dressings|salad dressing]] such as mayonnaise or cream. Various [[seasoning]]s, such as celery seed, may be added. The cabbage may come in finely minced pieces, shredded strips, or small squares. Other slaw variants include broccoli slaw, which uses shredded raw broccoli instead of cabbage. [[Cream]], [[sour cream]], or [[buttermilk]] are also popular additions. 

=== Europe ===
Traditional [[German cuisine|German]] ''Krautsalat'' (cabbage salad) consists of finely shredded cabbage marinated with oil and vinegar.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Sometimes onions or apples are added.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

Coleslaw with cooked ham and sliced pepper ([[Julienning|julienne]] cut) in [[Italian cuisine|Italy]] is called ''insalata capricciosa'' (capricious salad).{{cn|date=February 2016}}

In Poland, cabbage-based salads resembling coleslaw are commonly served as a side dish with the second course at dinner, next to meat and potatoes. There is no fixed recipe, but typical ingredients include shredded white cabbage (red and [[Napa cabbage|Chinese cabbage]] are also common), finely chopped onions, shredded carrots, and [[parsley]] or [[Dill|dill leaves]], with many possible additions. These are seasoned with salt, black pepper and a pinch of sugar and tossed with a dash of oil (typically sunflower or rapeseed) and vinegar, while mayonnaise-based dressings are uncommon. An alternative, usually served with fried fish, is made with [[sauerkraut]], squeezed to eliminate excess salty brine and similarly tossed with carrots, onions, black pepper, sugar and oil. Any simple salad of that kind, i.e. one made with shredded raw vegetables, is known as a ''surówka'' ({{langx|pl|surowy}} 'raw'). If cabbage is the base ingredient, it is called a ''surówka z (kiszonej) kapusty'', or a "(soured) cabbage salad". The English name "coleslaw" is mainly associated with the mayonnaise-dressed cabbage. It is often written as "colesław" or "kolesław" ({{IPA|pl|kɔˈlɛswaf|pron}}), because of the similarity to many surnames ending with "-sław".<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2024 |title=The Colesław salad |url=https://aniagotuje.pl/przepis/surowka-coleslaw |access-date=7 December 2024 |website=Ania Gotuje}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bociąga |first=Przemysław |date=20 March 2024 |title=Czy coleslaw to naprawdę Kolesław? Zaskakująca nazwa surówki o polskim nazwisku [Is coleslaw really Kolesław? A surprising name for salad with a Polish surname] |url=https://smakosze.pl/czy-coleslaw-to-naprawde-koleslaw-zaskakujaca-nazwa-surowki-o-polskim-nazwisku-pb-jk-200324 |access-date=7 December 2024 |website=Smakosze}}</ref>

In [[East Slavs|Eastern Slavic cultures]] (Russia, Ukraine and Belarus), a salad of fresh shredded cabbage mixed with carrots, apples, cranberries etc., is traditionally dressed with unrefined [[sunflower oil]].<ref name="Vatrooshkin">{{cite book |title=Easier Than a Steamed Turnip: Simple and Delicious Meatless Russian Recipes |first=Peter|last=Vatrooshkin |publisher=Plutagora LLC |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-938407-01-7 |pages=21-22, 27, 28 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oYAKx75pAIAC}}</ref> The cabbage can be marinated before with vinegar producing ''cabbage provençal'' ({{langx|ru|капуста провансаль|kapusta provansal}}).<ref>{{cite journal |first=Alexandra|last=Grigorieva |title=Russian Food Words at Home and Abroad |journal=Food and Language: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cooking 2009 |editor-first=Richard|editor-last=Hosking |page=149 |publisher=Oxford Symposium |date=2010 |isbn=978-1-903018-79-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ilvBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT148}}</ref> A similar salad is also made of [[sauerkraut]].<ref name="Vatrooshkin"/>

In [[Swedish cuisine|Sweden]], a particular type of cabbage salad made with a seasoned vinaigrette is usually served with pizza and known as ''pizzasallad'' (pizza salad).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spisa.nu/3.15101/recept/pizzasallad/ |title=Pizzasallad}}</ref> When other vegetables are added, the recipe may be called ''råkostsallad'' (raw-food salad) or ''veckosallad'' (week salad), noting its long fridge-life.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hallén Buitenhuis |first=Anna |title=ACT ALP livsstil : Kunskap & kokbok för dig med den envisa kroppen |last2=Anderson |first2=Helena |date=1 December 2022 |publisher=Tukan förlag |isbn=978-91-8037-619-8 |location=Västra Frölunda |pages=98 |language=sv |trans-title=ACT ALP Lifestyle: Knowledge and Cookbook for those with a stubborn body}}</ref> The term coleslaw ({{langx|sv|coleslaw}}, or {{langx|sv|kålsallad}}) is reserved for cabbage salad with mayonnaise-based dressing and is typically seen as American cuisine.

In the [[British cuisine|United Kingdom]], coleslaw often contains carrot and onion in addition to cabbage and is usually made with mayonnaise or [[salad cream]]. Some variations include grated cheese such as [[Cheddar cheese|cheddar]], nuts such as [[walnuts]] and dried fruits such as sultanas or [[raisins]].

=== United States ===
In the [[Cuisine of the United States|United States]], coleslaw often contains buttermilk, mayonnaise or substitutes, and carrot. However, many regional variations exist, and recipes incorporating prepared [[mustard (condiment)|mustard]] or vinegar without the dairy and mayonnaise are also common.

Throughout the South, coleslaw is served alongside [[hushpuppies]] and French fries as side dishes for fried fish.<ref name=Edge /> Coleslaw is also a popular side dish with barbecue.<ref name=Edge /> 

In [[North Carolina]], coleslaw is fine and vinegary and served with barbecue.<ref name=Edge>{{cite book |last1=Edge |first1=John T. |title=The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, Volume 7: Foodways |date=2007 |publisher=The University of North Carolina Press}}</ref> In the [[Lexington, North Carolina]] area, [[red slaw]] is made using ketchup and vinegar rather than mayonnaise.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lexington Red Slaw |url=https://abc7chicago.com/archive/6849983/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=ABC7 Chicago |language=en |date=2009-06-05}}</ref> It is frequently served alongside [[Barbecue in North Carolina|North Carolina barbecue]], including [[Barbecue in North Carolina#Lexington style|Lexington style barbecue]], where, unlike in the rest of the state, a red slaw is the prevailing variety.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mercuri |first=Becky |title=The Great American Hot Dog Book: Recipes and Side Dishes from Across America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yGm9T0ptJ1cC&pg=PA76 |access-date=21 April 2012 |date=2007-03-05 |publisher=Gibbs Smith |isbn=978-1-4236-0022-0 |page=76}}</ref>

In [[Memphis, Tennessee]], coleslaw has mayonnaise and is served as a topping in [[pulled pork]] [[barbecue sandwich#Tennessee|barbecue sandwiches]].<ref name=Edge /> Hot slaw, which is flavored with [[jalapeño]] chilies and mustard, was named the first official state food of [[Tennessee]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cochrane |first=Emily |last2=Melton |first2=Audra |date=2024-05-18 |title=This Is Hot Slaw. And Cleveland, Tenn., Wants You to Love It, Too. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/18/us/hot-slaw-state-food-tennessee.html |access-date=2024-05-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

=== Middle East ===
In Israel, a common coleslaw type consists of red cabbage and mayonnaise. It often includes salt, pepper, and lemon juice. The salad is often served as a topping option at food stands. It is also mass-produced and purchased in stores.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

== See also ==
{{portal|Food}}
* [[Sauerkraut]]
* [[List of cabbage dishes]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Coleslaw.ogg|date=2012-03-10}}

* {{wiktionary-inline}}

{{salads}}

[[Category:Brassica oleracea dishes]]
[[Category:Cabbage dishes]]
[[Category:Cuisine of the Southern United States]]
[[Category:Danish cuisine]]
[[Category:Dutch cuisine]]
[[Category:German cuisine]]
[[Category:Pickles]]
[[Category:Raw foods]]
[[Category:Cuisine of New England]]
[[Category:British salads]]
[[Category:American salads]]
[[Category:Canadian cuisine]]